SecondWind
by Judge-Douglas-Mason
Summary: Grissom finally grows some, but is he too late?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own them. Wish I did, but I don't. Que Sera Sera.

Borrowed: Barry White-First, Last, My Everything

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The air was thick with cigar and cigarette smoke; almost to the point where you couldn't see anyone. Gil Grissom sat at the bar, drink in hand and gazed at the beauty in the booth across the floor from him.

Countless times, he had envisioned how he would approach her, what he would say, how he would say it and hypothesizing her reaction. Tonight, though, he was feeling uncharacteristically bold. He checked himself in the bartender's mirror, smoothed down his clothing, smelled his breath and hopped down off his stool.

As he approached her, he could hear her theme song playing in his head. For a moment in time, all was gone, save for her. His vision narrowed and she was all he could see. He ran his hand through his hair as the tune played in his head.

My first, my last, my everything

And the answer to all my dreams

You're my sun, my moon, my guiding star

My kind of wonderful, that's what you are

I know there's only, only one like you

There's no way they could have made two

You're all I'm living for

Your love I'll keep for evermore

You're my first, my last, my everything

This was the song Grissom heard whenever Sara walked into a room. He had no idea as to why he heard music, but he thought it was quite appropriate. After all, she was his everything. It had taken him so many years to come to terms with his feelings for her, that when he finally realized it, her words rang out in his head.

"By the time you decide, it might be too late."

He hoped to God that he wasn't too late. He had to lay claim to her; and now was the time. All his courage had been summoned up and he was about to find out where he stood in her heart.

Sara sat alone, glass of wine in her hand. As she gazed out, across the dance floor, she noticed a certain gentleman approaching her. He was un-characteristically calm and there was a certain spring in his step.

As she watched him move closer to her, she could hear words in her head; words that she only heard when he was around. She shook her head, trying to dislodge the music, but was unsuccessful.

When the breeze between us calls,

Love comes and lingers into our lives

And leaves begin to fall, you point your finger at me.

I love You I love You

In the sadness of your smile love is an island way out to sea

And it seems so long ago we have been ready trying to be free

And it's up to you, Why won't you say?

Make our lives turn out this way.

If they knew that we have got nothing to lose,

No reason to hide from what's true

Sara tried to avoid eye contact with him, but the closer he got, the more difficult it was. Here was this paragon of manliness. He was tall, gorgeous, brilliant and quirky; just the way she liked him. What more could a woman want in a man? The trouble was, that he was not her partner, he barely acknowledged her existence. She felt hollow inside every time he would pass her without a word, or became curt with her for no reason. What was this man's problem that he felt the need to shun her?

Grissom had her in his sights and was not deviating from his current course. He was like an F-14 fighter pilot, with his guns trained on a MIG; she was locked in and there was no way she would get away from him.

Sara smiled as he walked up to her and held out his hand.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked, cautiously

Sara swallowed hard and blinked several times, not fully believing what she was seeing; Grissom, making the first move.

"Um---uhh" was all she could manage

"I'll take that as a yes." He said, raising her up

Grissom lead her out to the dance floor and wrapped his strong arms around her waist. He reveled in the feeling of her; she fit him perfectly, there was no other way to describe it. Sara gazed up at him and ran her hands around his neck to rest in the curls at the base of his neck.

Sara was in a sort of shock. She was feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment. Here she was, Grissom in her arms and he was being far from indifferent to her. As she looked into his eyes, she could actually swear that she saw something other than his normal steel blue stare. His eyes were a bit darker and brighter under the dancing balls of light reflecting from the disco ball.

The set had ended and Grissom and Sara were now sitting in a booth. As Sara looked up into his eyes, she secretly wondered where the real Gil Grissom was, and what this man had done with him. This, certainly, was not the Gil Grissom she had known for these 8 years.

Sara looked up from her drink and met Grissom's gaze. He was staring at her, and truth be told, she was beginning to get a bit uncomfortable. He had stared at her before, but never like this, or for this long.  
Nervously, she looked down at her watch and unconsciously yawned. Grissom noted this and broke their silence.

"Do you need to be going?" he asked, cautiously

Sara hesitated for a moment, then answered carefully; she didn't want to seem disinterested in him, but she really did need to get home and try for some sleep.

'Yeah. I'm a bit tired." She replied

Grissom sighed and stood up, taking her hand in his. Sara looked at their hands, joined, fingers entwined and smiled. She stood up and Grissom lead them towards the exit.

Grissom walked Sara to her car and as she unlocked the door, he placed a hand on he shoulder. Sara turned to him and, non-verbally, asked him what he wanted. Grissom read the look on her face and spoke his heart.

"When can I see you again?"

Sara, a bit stunned, answered before she could carefully phrase her response.

"You see me every day."

Grissom, taken aback by her answer, elaborated on his question.

"Away from work. When can I see you?"

Sara, not wanting to get burned, protected her heart and stared him in the eyes.

"We'll see."


	2. Chapter 2

It had been two weeks since they'd met at the bar and Grissom was growing ever inpatient because of Sara's response to his query about seeing him away from work. Finally, he took matters into his own hands. As he sat at his desk he wondered how he would broach the subject and after careful consideration he decided that the direct approach was the best approach, but how would he her alone? He could get her in the locker room, the break room or he could summon her to his office under the pretense of a case she was working on. He waited patiently until she would come in. She was usually early by an hour or so,  
so he didn't have too long to wait. He looked down at his watch and it was 18:00hrs; one hour and she would be there. He thought about what he wanted to say and how she might react to his words; he'd have to be careful and very cautious. 

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Standing in front of her open closet, Sara was trying to decide what she would wear today. In her bra and panties she was mulling over jeans and a crop top and flat front slacks and a casual blouse. She was in mid-decision when someone knocked on her door. She threw on her bathrobe and went to look through the peephole. Brass was on the other side of the door with a big smile on his face. She opened the door and let him in, following her to her bedroom. Showing him the clothing selections she was deciding on, she asked his opinion.

"Jeans or slacks?" she asked

After a few seconds he spoke.

"I like the jeans and..." moving towards her closet "This shirt." he said, pulling it out

He excused himself so that she could dress in private. In the living room he sat on the couch and waited while she dressed. He made her a travel mug of coffee and by the time he had fixed it just the way she liked it she was done dressing and presently sitting on the couch lacing up her boots. Standing by the door, Jim waited anxiously.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon. We're gonna' be late." he said tensely

Sara had finished with her boots, got up and grabbed her jacket. She and Jim left the apartment and drove to the lab in his car.

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Still at his desk, he waited as the minutes ticked by. Finally, he saw her walking down the hall, but she was with Jim. His heart sank to see the two of them together; so close as they were. Grissom couldn't figure out if the two of them were involved or if they were just close friends. But he was determined to make his feelings known and today was the day he would do it. He got up from his desk and walked down the hall to the locker room to find Sara sitting on a bench staring blankly into her locker. She had something on her mind; he could tell. Maybe this was the way he'd get her alone to speak to her about seeing her after work.

He stepped into the locker room and sat beside her on the bench in silence. After a couple of uncomfortable moments, he spoke up.

"What's the matter?" he asked

She slowly turned to him and responded.

"Nothing, really. I'm fine. I've just got some issues to think through. But as I said, I'm fine."

He sat beside her for a couple more moments before he got up and made to leave. He turned round' and smiled.

"You want to grab dinner after shift? Or I could cook for you." he offered

Without hesitation, she answered.

"Sure, that sounds fine. I'll see you when shift is over."

With a certain spring in his step, he bounded down the hall and back to his office to pick up the slips for the evening. They were already piling up and it wasn't even the start of shift. As he thumbed through them and let out a heavy sigh. Things in Vegas were turning to shit and there was little or nothing he or anyone could do about it.

Still in his office, he watched as the team began to come in and tried to decide which assignment to give to whom. Maybe he could just let the team decide for themselves. He walked to the break room and as everyone was assembled around the conference table he held the slips out in his hand in a sort of fan arrangement. Everyone got up one at a time and took their slips, grabbed their kits and left. Nick had a DB in Henderson, Warrick teamed up for a B&E in the downtown district. Greg had a triple homicide in Summerland, Sara had suspicious circs at the MGM and Grissom had two dead campers at Meade.

They all departed for their scenes and did their thing. They all processed their scenes and when they were done they began to return to the lab. It was a long shift; or so it seemed. However, when it came time to leave for home, they all got in their cars and drove home.

Grissom sat in his office waiting for Sara to arrive when she knocked on the jamb of his office door. She stood in the doorway and after a few seconds she came in and sat across from him, her head in her hands. Seeing the obvious stress on her face and body posture, he had a feeling she was going to cancel on him. He wouldn't have been surprised if she did; as she was a solitary creature.

"I need to cancel for today." she said bluntly

"That's fine. I'll take a rain check." he said, trying not to sound disappointed

"'I'm sorry. I'm just in no mood for dinner. I just need to be alone." she replied

That having been said, Sara got up and left Grissom's office for the locker room. She took her purse and left the lab for the lot. Standing in the hallway, Grissom could see Sara get into Brass's car and drive off. He was confused. She had cancelled with him and apparently went off with Jim for some reason.

"Maybe they're seeing each other. Maybe that's why she cancelled." he thought to himself

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Sitting at home, alone, Sara was dressed in sweats and thick wool socks. She curled on the couch going over things in her mind. She knew that Grissom was beginning to open up and show her feelings for her. However, on the other hand, she and Jim had gone out a few times and she was torn between the man she'd loved since she'd met him back when she was in college, or the man that she had grown to love over the last several years. It was truly a toss up. On the one hand she had a man, both brilliant and complex, but emotionally stunted and solitary. On the other hand she had a man that was open with his feelings and emotions and wasn't scared to show them.

It had been a couple of hours on the couch when her cell phone rang. Picking it up, she could tell that it was Greg. She answered it; much to his delight.

"Hey. No, nothing. Just sitting on the couch contemplating my navel. Sure, if you like. Ok, I'll see you in a bit."

Greg was coming over and Sara thought that maybe he could help her with her little problem with the Grissom/Brass issue. She got up from the couch and a bit of last minute cleaning before he was to arrive.

She had just put on a fresh pot of coffee when the doorbell went off. She opened the door to see Greg with a fruit basket in hand and a goofy grin on his face. He came in, set the basket on the breakfast bar. Turning round' he could tell that there was something bothering her, so he joined her on the couch and looked her in the eyes.

"What's the problem, hun?" he asked

"If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone. If you do, I will not hesitate to kill you." she said in a serious tone

"My lips are sealed. They'll have to torture me to get me to talk." he swore

Sara began to tell him of her problem.

"You know that Grissom and I have a history. And you know I have feelings for him. Well, he's just started to express his feelings for me, which is a good thing."

"So what's the problem? You two look good together." he said

"The problem is that I've been seeing Brass. I mean, we've only gone out a few times, but I feel a serious connection with him, something I don't feel with Grissom. So, my problem is that I've got two men that are interested in me and I don't know what to do." she explained

"Three men." Greg said

"Three men?" she asked

Shifting in his seat, Greg sighed hard.

"I'm interested, but I know you think I'm too immature. So, I just admire you from afar." he said plainly

"So, you see my dilemma, then?" she replied

"Yeah, you're truly in a quandary."

They both sat there for a few moments before Greg spoke again.

"This is what I would do." he said, grabbing a sheet of paper from the printer across the room

He drew a line down the middle of the page and at the top of one column he wrote Grissom and at the top of the other he wrote Brass. Then he drew a line across the middle of the page. He turned to her and smiled.

"This is a list of pro's and con's. Let's start with Grissom and his pro's. He's a genius, he's tall and handsome and he's quirky. Now the con's. He's sheltered, he's emotionally underdeveloped, he's closed off and he's kinda' creepy, what with all his bugs and snakes and spiders." Greg said

"I've got to agree with you on those counts." she said

"Now, let's move on to Brass. Pro's; he's witty, he's smart, he's emotionally open, he's a fabulous dresser and he's not afraid to show he cares. Now, the con's; he's short, he's got a receding hairline and he can be cranky at times. So, now we have our list of advantages and disadvantages for both men." he went on

"Shit. What am I gonna' do?" she said, exasperated

"Well, if it were me, I'd go with Brass. I think the two of you have more in common and are better suited for each other. And as you said, you've already been out with him a few times and you've never been out on a date with Grissom and if you had, he'd probably take you to the Body Farm or something. But, like I said, I'd go with Brass. However, the end decision is yours, but at least you've got your list now. Hope it helps."he said sweetly

"Actually, it just makes things more confusing." Sara said flatly

"Well, I don't know what else to do. But I must be off. I hear my bed calling." he said

Greg got up and left Sara alone with her list and hoped she would make the decision that was right for her. He wished her all the luck in the world and secretly stood in Brass's corner. He'd always liked the man and found it odd and saddening that Brass was alone. It was true he could be cranky at times, but for the most part he was perfect; short and balding, but perfect.

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At home, Grissom was debating on whether or not he should call Sara or not. He wanted to know what was troubling her so much that she'd cancel dinner plans with him. It had to be something of real substance, he thought. Something seriously wrong. He knew she could be moody at times and really rather reclusive outside work; almost in the same way he had a tendency to be. She'd go home, take the home line off the hook, bolt the door, draw the blinds and retreat to the comfort of her bed or her fluffy, comfy couch.

He finally decided to pay her a visit. He knew she'd be awake, as she rarely slept. He grabbed his jacket, climbed into his car and drove over to her apartment. Climbing the stairs to her apartment, he was nervous. Standing outside her door, ready to knock, he suddenly got the feeling that he shouldn't be there. Suddenly, the door opened and they were standing face to face. A blank expression on both their faces, Sara opened her door further and motioned for him to come in.

Standing in the living area, his hands thrust in his pockets, he was silent; that was until Sara spoke up.

"What brings you here?" she asked

"I need to talk to you." he said simply

"About?"

"Us." he said nervously

"Is there an "Us"?" she asked

"That's what I'm here to talk to you about." he said

They moved over to the couch and both sat down. After a moment Sara spoke up.

"I have a problem, Griss. The reason I cancelled on you this morning was because there are some things in my life that I need to sort out; you and I among them. You see, I've been seeing someone else. Its nothing serious, we've only been out a few times, but I've grown to love him almost in the same way that I've loved you since all those years back. I have to decide which man is better for me, which man I can settle down with and raise a family with. That's what I want; a family. And I'm not sure you're ready for a family, whereas the other man already has a child. I hate to sound selfish, but I really need to think about me and how I want to spend the rest of my life. Do I spend my life with a man that's open, honest and emotionally available or do I spend my life with a man that's emotionally closed off, solitary and not in touch with himself? These are the things I need to decide." she explained

All this was coming as a shock to Grissom. He had no idea Sara was seeing anyone, let alone that she wanted to settle down and raise a family. To the best of his knowledge she wasn't good with children, so why would she want kids?

"Well, it sounds like you've got a lot to think about. Things that'll change the course of your life and the way you'll live it. Serious thinking, by the sound of things."


	3. Chapter 3

Again, it was time to get ready to go in for shift and Sara was deciding on what to wear to work when there was a knock at her door. Having a pretty good idea as to who it was, she opened her door and let Jim in. She was wearing only her panties and an oversized shirt that went down to her mid-thigh. She didn't feel in the least bit uncomfortable with Jim seeing her dressed the way she was. After all, she'd seen him in his boxers and tank-top before, so it was no big deal. While Jim was admiring her legs, he loved her legs, she stood in front of her closet. 

"I have no idea what to wear." she sighed

Jim was dressed in a dark blue suit, light blue button-up shirt and dark blue tie. Jim was always a great dresser; he had an amazing sense of style. He always looked fantastic; even in jeans and a t-shirt. His smell was to die for. Ever since she'd gotten him some cologne a couple years back for Christmas, he always smelled of Drakkar. The combination of his natural aroma and the cologne made her want to do two things; 1) tear his clothes off and ravage him and 2) high-five herself. Though she always resorted to the latter, but would much rather the former.

As Jim went through her closet, Sara sat on the edge of the bed and watched him. She loved the way he moved, the way he carried himself and she LOVED his butt. When he'd reach up to unhook a clothes hanger his suit jacket would rise up and she'd get a nice look at his rump. He presented her with a nice Earth tone long sleeve shirt and a dark blue pair of casual slacks to be accompanied by a nice pair of new boots that he had picked up for her on his last visit to REI.

Excusing himself to the kitchen, Jim left her to dress in peace while he fixed her some coffee. When he was done, he turned round' and saw her on the couch lacing up her boots. When she was done, she stood up and wiggled her toes around and stomped her feet a few times to get a feel for the boots. They were very comfortable and had great arch support; perfect for hours on your feet. Looking down at her feet, Jim smiled.

"How do you like the boots?" he asked

"Very comfy." she said, smiling

"Good. Let's go." he said

They locked up the apartment and climbed in to Jim's car. In the passenger seat, Sara pulled her keys from her back pack and removed one key from her key chain. Sitting at a red light, she handed it to him. He looked at it quizzically.

"What's this for?" he asked

"This is a spare key to my apartment. So, now you don't have to knock every time." she replied

"Thanks." he said, slipping it into his pants pocket

Minutes later they arrived at the lab and Jim dropped Sara off then went to the precinct. In his office, he was checking his e-mail when he came across one from Sara, from that morning. He opened it and smiled as he read it.

"Jim. Missing you already. Hope to see you on scene. Hugs, Sara."

From behind his desk, he pulled out his cell phone and sent her a text message.

"Sara, Missing you too."

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Sitting in the break room, at the conference table, Sara's phone began to vibrate on the table top. She was reading a magazine and didn't notice it going off. Nick heard it and picked it up. He opened it and saw the message.

"Hey, Sara. Someone's missing you." he said, handing her the cell

She looked at the message and smiled, knowing it could only have come from one person. With Jim she got a feeling in her heart that she didn't get when she was with Grissom. With Grissom, as of late, she got a feeling, but it was more like indigestion or really bad heartburn. When they'd work a scene together she'd have this constant sour stomach. However, when they returned to the lab her stomach would calm itself and she'd be fine again. What was worst was when she was with Grissom and Brass. She'd have the feeling of the warm and fuzzies when she looked at Brass but when she talked to Grissom she'd get that angina feeling.

It was time to hand out slips again and as Grissom entered the break room everyone was seated around the conference table waiting for their assignments.

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Arriving on scene, Sara and Greg proceeded to process the house; she took the inside and he took the perimeter. She was just taking a photo of a blood pool when Jim came up behind her. She could smell him before she could see him. She stood up from her crouched position and turned round', aiming her camera at Jim.

"Say evidence." she said as she snapped a couple of photos of him

Placing his hand on the small of her back as she walked through the house taking more photos. When she had finished collecting her evidence, she and Jim went outside so she could place it all in the truck. Reaching out and taking the camera strap from her shoulder, he let his hand gently stroke her arm from her shoulder to her hand. He gently placed the camera in the back of the truck and closed it up.

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Sitting in his truck, Grissom saw the physical contact between Jim and Sara and fumed as he watched Brass's hand stroking Sara's arm. He watched as Greg and Sara climbed into the truck and drive off. He followed them at a distance and when they arrived at the lab and entered the building, carrying their evidence. He parked his truck and sat there for a few minutes thinking about what he had seen between Sara and Brass and he began to fume. However, he did remember something that Sara had said to him months before; that by the time he grew the balls to express his feelings for her it might be too late. Was he too late? From what he had seen it looked that way. But he also remembered her telling him the previous day that it was nothing serious. Did he still have a chance?

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Shift was over and as Sara walked out to the lot Grissom watched her again. After a few moments Brass pulled up and Sara got in his car and he could have sworn that he saw her lean over and give him a kiss on the cheek. Grissom's face turned beet red and he could feel his pulse quicken. He went back to his office and opened his desk drawer and pulled out a prescription bottle of Xanax. He took two and washed them down with a healthy dose of water. As he moved from his desk to the couch, he lay down and closed his eyes. Within half an hour he was asleep.

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Pulling up in front of Sara's apartment, Jim parked his car in Sara's visitor's spot, behind her car. They sat in the car for a few minutes and talked.

"So, you hungry? I can make dinner." Sara offered

After a moment Jim accepted her proposal and they both got out and went upstairs. In her apartment, Sara was cooking while Jim was taking a shower. He'd brought in a gym bag that he kept in the trunk of his car that had a change of clothes. Having finished making dinner, Sara could hear the shower being turned off. A few minutes later Jim appeared in a pair of faded jeans and t-shirt. Sara loved the way he looked in jeans and even more, she loved the way his butt looked in jeans. She could also tell the length and girth of his manhood when he wore jeans and several times she'd wondered what it would be like to get into his pants, as she'd been living the life of a nun since the Hank fiasco. She suspected it had been even longer since Jim had been with anyone.

They both sat at the breakfast bar and ate dinner and when they had finished they moved into the living area to watch some of the tellie. After about an hour Sara and Jim both let out a yawn and looked at each other. She stood up and stretched her back and neck.

"Well, I'm off to bed. You're welcome to join me if you like." she offered

Jim was truly tempted. His mind told him that he shouldn't go to sleep with Sara, but his heart told him that it would be alright. In the end, his heart won out and they went into the bedroom where they both undressed. Jim climbed under the covers while Sara took a shower. By the time she was done, Jim was already asleep and as she changed into a pair of sleeping shorts and t-shirt she watched him for any signs of life. It wasn't until she climbed into bed that Jim began to move. With Sara on her side, Jim snuggled up behind her and draped his arm around her waist. He kissed the nape of her neck and whispered to her.

"Goodnight, hon."

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It had been several hours and Grissom woke up in his office. He grabbed his attachИ case and went out to the lot with the intention of going home. However, once he was on the road, he found himself driving past Sara's apartment and saw Jim's car parked behind Sara's. This only furthered his frustration and bitterness. It was too late, he told himself. She had warned him, but he had taken too long, and now the love of his life had found love in the arms of another man; one of his closest friends. In his mind, Jim had betrayed him. He knew that Grissom had a thing for Sara, but decided to make his move first; and apparently, Sara had accepted.

Grissom drove past her apartment and when he arrived at his apartment he went straight to bed and wound up dreaming dreams of Sara and Jim and what they may or may not have already done. In his mind, if they hadn't consummated their relationship then there was still a chance for him. He had to get to her before Jim did.

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Waking to the shrill sound of her alarm going off, Sara turned it off and made to get out of bed. Brass woke as well and as he saw Sara getting dressed, he wiped the sleep from his eyes he cleared his throat.

"What are you doing? Come back to bed." he said, sleepily

"I'm getting ready for work." she replied

"Its Saturday. No work. Come back to bed."

Looking at the day and date on her watch, she saw that it was, in fact, Saturday and she undressed as Jim watched in secret. Sara had no idea that Jim was watching her undress and as she changed back into her sleep clothes, he held the covers up so she could slide in beside him. With Jim on his back and his left arm stretched out, Sara lay her head on his chest while he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She ran her fingers through his chest hair, which tickled a bit. But within half an hour they were both back asleep.

It wasn't until a few hours later that Jim woke to the sound of a knocking on the door. He climbed from bed and walked through the apartment and looked through the peephole. It was Greg and Jim didn't know what to do. He knew that Greg was the Lord of inter-office gossip and who would he tell if Jim let him in.

Running down the hall and into the bedroom where he shook Sara awake. Her eyes full of sleep, she asked what was going on.

"What's up?" she asked

"Greg's here. What should I do?" he asked

"Let him in. He's cool." she replied

Jim threw on his jeans and a t-shirt and opened the door. With a great big smile on his face, Greg entered the apartment and stood staring at Jim and his bare feet. Moments later Sara emerged from the bedroom in sweats and a t-shirt. Looking at the dopey expression on Greg's face, both Jim and Sara stared him down.

"Don't worry. I haven't told, nor will I tell anyone. You two look great together." he said

"That having been said, what brings you around?" Sara asked

"Just checking in on ya'" Greg replied

"I'm fine, Greg."

"Well, I can see that you're otherwise occupied, so I'll take my leave." he said

Greg excused himself and left Jim and Sara to themselves. Now that they were awake, they wondered what they were going to do with the rest of the day. They decided to go out for a meal. It was getting dark out and as Jim sat at an outdoor cafИ, they looked over their menus and decided what they wanted to eat. Sara settled on eggplant parmesan and out of respect, Jim ordered a vegetarian dish of his own. Their meals having been brought and been eaten, Jim and Sara took a little walk down the strip. They walked hand in hand past the MGM and all the way to the Excalibur.

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Driving down the strip, heading for some roller coasters, Grissom sat at a red light and saw Jim and Sara crossing right in front of him at a crosswalk. He saw their hands joined and that's when he snapped. Right when they were in front of his car, Grissom honked and waved to them. Surprised, they jumped. The last thing either one of them expected was to see Grissom while they were on their walk. Now that the cat was out of the proverbial bag, they both wondered how Grissom would handle things.

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In his car, Grissom was in the process of thinking of ways in which he might punish Jim for his betrayal. He was leaning towards disembowelment or maybe evisceration. Maybe he would just take Jim out to the desert, bury him up to his neck and let the coyotes have a go at him. Either way, Grissom's very fertile imagination was running away with him. Rather than riding the coasters, Grissom just decided to go home and sulk.

Walking into his apartment, he made straight for his kitchen and the cabinet above the fridge that housed the bottle of scotch he had. He took a tumbler from another cabinet, grabbed the scotch and sat in front of the tellie. He flipped the channels until he found some show about insects. He poured himself two fingers and sat back into the folds of his fluffy couch. He watched and drank for the better part of the evening. By the time midnight rolled around there was a call to his cell. His vision blurred and his speech slurred, he answered. It was Nick calling to ask a question. Hearing that Gil wasn't quite himself, he decided to pay him a visit.

Fifteen minutes later there was a knock at Grissom's door but no one answered. Nick reached above the door jamb and picked up the spare key. He slowly opened the door and found Grissom passed out on the floor; apparently on his way to his bedroom. Nick closed the door and walked over to Grissom. He knelt down and checked his pulse to make sure he was alive. Grissom was alive, but only just passed out. Nick shook him a couple times but nothing happened. Finally, although he hated to do it, he gave Grissom a slap across his face. This brought Grissom around, but only just slightly. It was just enough to get him to his feet and guide him to his bedroom. He lay Grissom on his bed and covered him up with a quilt and removed his shoes, setting them under the bed.

Nick could tell that there was something wrong going on and figured he'd stay until Grissom woke up; which wouldn't be for quite a while.

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It was a strained situation that Jim and Sara were in. Now he knew about them and they worried about how he'd take it. Little did they know that Grissom wasn't taking things well at all. In fact, he'd had so much to drink that he emptied half a bottle of scotch and passed out on the floor on his way to the bedroom.

Back at Jim's place, he and Sara were watching a show about the various Pharos of Ancient Egypt. Sitting on the couch with his arm around Sara's shoulders, Jim was beginning to doze off and Sara could hear the soft snoring coming from him. She looked over to see him with his head tilted back, his mouth hanging slightly open and a bit of drool coming from the edge of his mouth. She thought he was so cute, the way he looked when he was passed out on the couch. She got up and covered him up with the throw from the back of the couch and went into the bedroom to go to sleep. She stripped down to her underclothes and took a pair of Jim's boxers and a tank-top and climbed under the bedclothes.

Several hours later Jim woke up, and seeing he was alone, he went to his bed only to find Sara sprawled out in the centre of the bed like a starfish. There was no room for him unless he woke her up so that he could slide in. He hated to wake her, but he desperately wanted in. He was barefoot and the floors were cold. He poked her a couple of times and when she didn't wake he lifted up the covers and climbed under them, all the while nudging her aside so there would be more room for him.

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The rest of the weekend Jim and Sara either stayed in bed or snuggled up on the couch. As for Grissom, he was nursing a hangover. By the time it was time to go back to work Jim and Sara were ready, whereas Grissom still had a bit of a headache and a seriously upset stomach.

When the team began to file in for the night's work Grissom gave Sara the most disgusting case there was; a floater out at Lake Meade. When she arrived, Jim was already there and they walked through the woods to the scene. From the looks of things the floater had been floating for the better part of a week. He was all bloated and discolored and his smell didn't help things either. Kneeling over the body, Sara looked up at Jim and covered her mouth so she wouldn't puke.

"I think Grissom has it in for me. He gave me the worst case of the evening." she said

"Maybe so. I might have to have a little sit down with him." Jim replied

Standing up, Jim walked back to his car and drove back to the lab. Entering the building, he stopped at Grissom's open office door. Lifting his head, Grissom growled.

"What the hell do you want!?"


	4. Chapter 4

"What I want is to have a little chat with you about what you saw the other day and the case you gave Sara tonight. I know you did it out of spite, but there's no reason to punish her for your own selfish reasons. You had ample opportunity to build an out of work relationship with her, but you never took the chances you had. I know its not her you're mad at; its me. If you want to punish someone, then punish me; but leave her out of it." 

Grissom didn't like hearing what Brass was saying, but had to agree with him on several points. He had been given many chances with Sara, but he never took them, and now she had found love with another man; his best friend. Plastering his best bullshit face on, Grissom replied.

"I'm not punishing her. There was a case and somebody had to take it. Greg is too new and I doubt his stomach could handle it. I needed Nick and Warrick for the quadruple homicide and Catherine for the B&E/Rape case. I chose Sara because she likes to work alone and because I felt that she was best suited for the case. I'm not being spiteful, I'm being logical. Now if you don't like the way I dish out the cases then take it up with Ecklie. Now, get out of my office. I'm busy!" he demanded

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The coroner had just retrieved the body and Sara had collected evidence from the surrounding area. She followed the coroner's van back to town and when she got to the lab she walked by Grissom's office and looked inside to see him at his desk. She dropped her evidence at the door and walked in, slamming the door behind her. She stood stock still, her shoulders squared and addressed him in a curt tone.

"You can be mad at me all you like. But as I explained to you the other day, you had your chances but never took them. What did you expect me to do, sit around and wait for you to make up your mind? I have to move on with my life and since you didn't show interest until it was too late, what do you expect me to do? You barely acknowledge my presence, let alone show me the slightest hint of emotion. So I found someone who's not afraid to show emotion and he's in touch with himself. But like I said, its not serious yet. We're still getting to know each other. We've made no commitments to each other. We've just shared a few meals and had a few walks. I'm still willing to explore things with you. But I swear, if you keep giving me the shitty cases, nothing will ever become of us." she explained

"Well, since you said things aren't serious, then have supper with me after shift. We can discuss things." he countered

"I'm willing discuss things with you over a meal. Fine. After shift." she replied

The plans having been made, Sara turned on her heel and left Grissom's office. She picked up her evidence bags and took them to one of the exam rooms. She felt somewhat lighter after having vented at Grissom. She was now mentally free to deal with her floater. She went down to the morgue and stood by as Doc. Robbins began the autopsy. He determined the cause of death to be from a number of injuries including, but not limited to blunt force trauma to the back of the head along with some serious lacerations to his torso and a slit throat. This guy had really been worked over.

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Shift was over and Sara waited for Grissom to lock up his office. In the locker room, she grabbed her back pack and went to wait in the hall. She looked outside and saw Brass pull up and went to see him. Leaning in the passenger window, she explained what was going on.

"I'm having dinner with Grissom. But I'll be home in a couple of hours. Let yourself in if you like."

Confused, Brass asked her what was going on.

"I thought you were pissed at him. I thought you and I were dating." he said

"We've discussed this, Jim. Things between you are casual. We've made no commitments to each other. You know I have feelings for him and have for quite some time. I just want to give him a chance. He finally got the balls to ask me out and I want to see if we're compatible. But don't worry; I don't get the feeling that things are gonna work out. He's too emotionally closed off and secretive. I just want to be able to say that I gave him a chance. I'll be home in a couple of hours." she explained

"Well, if you're sure. I'll be there when you get back." he said, dejected

She backed off from Brass's car just in time for Grissom to close things up and come outside. He didn't see Jim leave and figured that Sara was just standing outside waiting for him. The crossed the lot and climbed into his car. Sara thought they would go to the diner, but they went to his place instead. He cooked them a nice meal and they ate in companionable silence and when they were done, they sat and watched the tellie for a bit. After about an hour Sara stood up and stretched her limbs. She looked down at Grissom and saw that he'd fallen asleep. She hated to leave him without word, so she scribbled down a note and left quietly.

Walking down the street, several blocks from her apartment, she pulled out her cell and called Jim's cell. After a few rings he picked up.

"Hey, I'm on my way home. No, he fell asleep on the couch. I left him a note and left. I think I was right; I feel no sparks. I don't believe he and I would ever work out. I'm about two miles from home, so maybe an hour or so. That's not necessary. Well, if you insist. I'll walk back to the gate and you can pick me up there. Thanks."

Sara turned around and walked back to the gate of Grissom's apartment complex and waited for Brass to come by. It was only a matter of a few minutes before he showed up. Sara climbed in and they drove back to her apartment.

Standing on his balcony, Grissom saw Sara get into Brass's car and drive off. He was upset for a couple of reasons, 1) because she'd left without waking him and 2) because she left him for Brass.

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Back at her apartment, Sara and Jim stripped down and went to bed. Though they'd shared a bed on more than one occasion, for some reason Jim felt the need to show his feelings for Sara. As they settled in, under the covers, Jim placed a hand on Sara's cheek and drew her into a uncharacteristically passionate kiss. Sara felt warm all over and Jim's manhood was ever growing and Sara could feel it. Their hands began to roam all over each other's bodies, exploring every reachable inch. In mid kiss, Jim pulled back and looked Sara in the eyes.

"Are you sure you want to do this? We can wait if you want. I'm in no rush." he said softly

"I've been waiting for this for several years. I'm nothing if not patient, but for this, I want it and I want it now." she replied

They continued to grope and grab as they kissed and licked their way to carnal bliss. Jim rolled Sara onto her back and straddled her between his muscular thighs. He dipped his head down to kiss her one more time and smiled.

"You're sure?" he asked

Running her hand on his thigh, Sara replied by taking his major organ in her hand and rubbing it gently. In that instant he thrust himself inside her and pounded away as she moaned and called out his name repeatedly. The visions of him in his faded jeans invaded her mind as she thought about his member stressed against the denim of his jeans. Now she knew what it felt like to have him inside her and damned if she wasn't pleased as hell; he was truly packin' a large pistol. As his pace quickened and she rocked her hips in time with his motion, she could feel the oncoming of her climax and as she came she inadvertently dug her nails into his back as she called out his name once more. Jim's climax came right on top of Sara's and as he spent himself, he collapsed on top of her, his heart racing and behind his closed eyes all he could see were brightly colored spots bouncing around. After a few minutes of catching their breath, Jim rolled off of Sara and lay beside her with his left arm stretched out. She rolled over onto her right side and snuggled up to him; her hand on his chest, she could still feel his heart racing.

It was several minutes before either one of them spoke and when they did, it was Jim.

"So, how do you feel?" he asked

"I feel perfect." she replied

"That's only because you ARE perfect; in my eyes, at least."

"I think its more like you make me feel perfect when we're together."

They lay there for several minutes before succumbing to sleep and when they fell off it was to dreams of one another and the most perfect encounter either one of them had had in quite some time.

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For the better part of the day Jim and Sara cat napped between love making sessions and when it was time to go in neither of them wanted to go in because they were exhausted. They talked it over and in the end they both called in sick. Both of them had more than enough sick leave and decided to use some of it.

Jim and Sara were on the couch talking when Jim brought up vacation time and going somewhere. Sara didn't know that Jim had a cabin at Tahoe that he hadn't used in quite some time. The idea sounded good and they both decided that when they went in the following day they'd put in requisition forms for vacation leave.

After that, they both spent the rest of the day on the couch or in bed thinking about their vacation to come. They would work scenes for two weeks and then they'd take three weeks for vacation.

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At the same time, Grissom was in his office filling out a vacation form of his own. The business with Sara had hit him hard and he decided he needed to get away for a while. He would go where he always went when he was forced to take time off; Tahoe. He'd usually rent a cabin and stay for a few days or a week or two; however long he was forced to take. The last time he went to Tahoe was the previous year, when he'd sprained his ankle and was under doctor's orders to take time off of work. He'd stay at the lab for a couple of weeks in order to get his caseload in order and deal with Catherine, who hated being left in charge of Grissom's group.

He picked up his desk phone and called the lodge to reserve his cabin; the same cabin he always stayed at. He liked the familiarity of it; the same cabin every time. He knew the owners of the lodge, as he'd had a couple of cases in the area and the owners were so grateful that they told him that whenever he wanted to stay there all he had to do was call and he'd have a cabin free of charge. He suspected that the cabin was free of charge because he handled the cases with speed and discretion; and without any of the other guests becoming alarmed or even alerted. It was like he wasn't even there; he was so fast and efficient.

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The two weeks seemed to fly by as Jim and Sara grew anxious about their vacation; three weeks in the woods and hoping for a white Christmas. Their vacation would fall between the week before and two weeks after Christmas. They would return to work shortly after the new year.

Time had come and as Sara finished up her last case, she got a call from Jim. She answered with a smile.

"Hey, what's up? Oh, ok. I'll be done within the hour. Ok, I'll see you when you get here."

Jim had called to say that he was leaving the precinct and that he was going to go by his house to pick up their bags, so they could leave for Tahoe right form the lab. Sara had been spending quite a bit of time at Jim's as of late and thusly had several changes of clothes at his place. He got home, grabbed the two duffel bags and set out for the lab. He arrived just in time to catch Sara walking outside and to see Grissom throwing a gym bag in the trunk of his car.

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Since Sara had been on her feet all day and Brass behind his desk most of the night, he decided he'd drive them to the cabin. During the drive Sara fell asleep and as he drove he periodically looked over at her and smiled to see her peacefully sleeping. He knew that she'd probably be up all night because of her nap during the drive.

Little did either of them know, but they were being followed by Grissom who was a couple miles behind them. When they arrived at Jim's cabin and Sara opened her eyes all she could see was beauty all around. It was a nice two story cabin with a screened in porch. Climbing from the truck and grabbing her bag, she and Jim went inside and unpacked their things. It was still light out and Jim watched Sara unpack her bag he noticed her butt and snuck up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She placed her hand on top of his and gave a little squeeze.

Within his grasp, she turned round' and her eyes met his gaze. There was no lie in his eyes when he said he wanted to make love to her right there and then. They stripped down to nothing and made their way to the bed where they copulated like never before. This time they took things slow, gentle touches and caresses, little nibbles and licks of the tongue in the crook of Jim's neck. Sara had decided early on that she loved the way he tasted when he was all sweaty. She loved the sweaty, salty taste of him.

As their session lasted for more than two hours, the sun began to go down and when they had achieved the ever elusive mutual climax, they lay in bed; spent. After an hour of laying in bed, Sara got up and went to the window, dressed in Jim's cast-off t-shirt. Looking out the window, she could have sworn that she saw Grissom's car drive by. She tried to get a plate number, but only succeeded in getting a partial.

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Grissom had just arrived at his cabin and it was nearing dark. On the way to his cabin, on the dirt road, he could have sworn that he saw Brass's car parked in front off one of the cabins. It was the right model and colour, but what would the odds be that he, Sara and Jim would all, unknowingly, vacation in the same spot? He made a mental note to take a walk the next day and check out the cabin, because if Jim was staying at that cabin, then Grissom wanted to make sure they'd stay as far away from him as humanly possible.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning Sara woke before Jim and decided to make some coffee and take a walk. She dressed as quietly as possible and took her boots downstairs with her. Sitting on the couch, she laced up her boots and made a travel mug of coffee. True, she was unfamiliar with the area, but as she stepped on to the porch, she could see a path leading into the woods. Deciding she'd let Jim get some more sleep since he'd driven the whole way out there, she followed the path that lead to the lake. Looking at the water, she found a nice log on the shore to sit on while she drank her coffee. She sat and watched the sun rose and cast it's reflection on the water. It was beautiful; cold, but beautiful all the same. 

It was nearing Christmas time and as Sara sat on the log, she wondered what she'd get him. From the looks of his house he had everything he could possibly need and by the looks of the cabin it was the same situation. So, what do you get the man who doesn't need anything? She knew that he liked the outdoors, hence the cabin. She knew that he liked ice hockey, but he had all necessary equipment at home. She racked her mind but came up empty. Every time she thought she'd thought of something, she'd think if he had it and realized that he did.

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Just waking up, Grissom looked out his window and thought he'd take a nice walk and watch the sunrise. He got dressed, made some coffee and set out for a nice morning stroll. He thought he'd walk down to the lake; it was as good a place as any to watch the sunrise. He grabbed a jacket from his bag and set out to the lake. After walking for about half an hour to forty-five minutes he reached the lake and sat on the shore while drinking his coffee.

He could see someone further down the shore that apparently had the same idea as he did. He watched this person that was sitting on a log and as she got up, he thought he recognized the walk, the way they carried themselves. For a moment, he actually let himself believe it was Sara. But what would Sara be doing in Tahoe? He stood up and made his way around the bank to try and introduce himself, but as he got closer she got further away, until she finally disappeared into the woods. When he reached the spot where she had been, he followed the path that led up to a secluded part of the lake that had personally owned cabins, meaning that the cabins belonged to people and were mostly used for getaways. He stood at the edge of the woods and looked at the car that was parked in front of the cabin and when he saw the plates he knew it was Jim's. But what would Jim and Sara be doing all the way out here? He knew they took vacation leave at the same time, but what were the chances that the tree of them would all be vacationing at the same place?

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Inside the cabin, Sara was looking in the fridge for food, but found very little. She scribbled down a note saying she had gone to the market for food. She grabbed his keys and went outside. Climbing behind the wheel of his car, Sara drove away from the cabin not knowing that she was being watched.

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Grissom couldn't believe his eyes. Sara and Jim were at Tahoe and staying at a cabin together. How could Jim do this to him? Jim knew that he had feelings for Sara, but to spirit her away on a holiday was just too much. Jim and Sara vacationing at Tahoe for three weeks; and over Christmas break, no less. Grissom's mind swam with ways to exact revenge on Jim and Sara; but more so Jim, than Sara. Grissom wouldn't let himself believe that there were no more chances for he and Sara. In his mind there was still opportunity for him to get through to her that he loved her and that he was willing and able to change his ways; if only she'd give him the chance. True, he'd had seven years of chances, but in regard to her, his resolve was weakening and he was coming closer and closer to the reality that Sara could still be his.

After about an hour and a half, Sara returned with groceries. As she took them from the trunk she thought she heard something in the woods and when she looked she saw Grissom standing, leaning against a tree, looking right at her. She was surprised, sure enough, but was in no mood to talk with him, as he approached her. She quickly took her bags, slammed the trunk shut and went inside and locked the door behind her.

By this time Jim had awoke and was sitting in the living area watching the news. Sara went right to the kitchen and unpacked the bags. In a nonchalant tone, she mentioned that she had seen Grissom and that he was seemingly vacationing nearby. To this, all Jim could do was let out a deep sigh and growl. However, if Grissom was at Tahoe, Jim wasn't going to let him ruin a perfectly good holiday.

No longer hungry, either of them, they decided to go out and get a Christmas tree. There were several lots nearby and even though Jim wasn't usually one for holidays, nor was Sara, they decided to turn a stressful situation into a good one. They thought that, maybe if they got a tree and decorated it, it would take their minds off of the Grissom factor.

They both drove off to one of the lots they'd passed on their way in. There were several nice looking trees. After about half an hour, they settled on a New England Spruce. Having paid for it, Jim suddenly realized that they didn't have anything to put on the roof to protect the paint job. Jim opened the trunk and looked around and all he could find was a beach towel. He placed it on the roof and he and Sara carefully placed the tree on top of it. They tied the bow and stern, for lack of better terms, and drove back to the cabin. They set the tree on the front porch and got back in the car and went in search of decorations for the tree; bulbs, lights, tinsel, figurines and a stand.

Having returned, they brought the tree inside and went back and forth bringing in the decorations. As Jim was the last one in, he looked around the woods and up the drive that led to the rental cabins. Seeing nothing and no one, he went inside where he and Sara would begin decorating the tree. For over an hour they decorated and when they were done, they looked all over for the star they thought they'd bought, but couldn't find it. At that moment Jim had an epiphany. He went to the upstairs loft part of the cabin and went through his bag and pulled out his badge. He came back downstairs and used the three-step ladder to set his badge atop the tree. It was a unique decoration, and Sara laughed as Jim tried to balance it so it wouldn't fall off the top of the tree. Looking at him, she smiled.

"Well, I never would have thought of that." she said

"Yeah, well, I'm just glad I brought it." he replied

By the time they had totally decorated the tree, it was well into the afternoon and they were getting hungry. Jim went to the fridge and pulled out some sandwich stuff and made a turkey sandwich for himself and a lettuce, tomato and mayo sandwich for Sara. They ate in the living area where they could admire their tree. Looking at each other, they both smiled and Sara let out a laugh.

"I still can't believe you put your badge on top of the tree."

"Well, what's a tree without a star or angel?" he replied

Jim flipped on the tellie and they both settled in for a viewing of "A Christmas Story". Jim's favourite character was Randy, the little brother with the red snowsuit and the way he whined when he said "I Can't Put My Arms Down!". Sara's favourite part was when Ralphie got his tongue stuck to the pole. There were so many good parts of that film it was hard to name them all. After that film had ended "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" came on and they watched that as well. By the time tellie time was over it was well past dark and both of them decided to retire for the evening.

In the bedroom loft Jim and Sara stripped down to their underclothes and climbed under the covers with the intention of getting a good night's sleep. However, during the night they made love twice and when it came time to wake the following morning, neither of them wanted to leave the warm, fluffy confines of the bed; except to go to the bathroom and then jump back in bed. They spent the better part of the morning just lying in bed, wrapped in each other's embrace.

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The sun had just come up and so was Grissom. He was debating whether or not he should pay Jim and Sara a visit, and in the end he'd decided against it. He'd just sit back, relax and try not to think of the two of them and how they were inadvertently ruining his vacation. He was halfway through The Morning Report when he decided to take a walk around the lake and possibly clear his head.

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"Let's go for a walk around the lake." Sara suggested

They both climbed out of bed and got dressed for a walk. They laced up their boots and put on their jackets and headed down the path to the shoreline. They walked hand in hand along the shoreline, heading West.

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From where he stood, Grissom could see Jim and Sara walking hand in hand along the shore. They were in no hurry, just strolling along. It was a nice enough day; the temperature was in the mid forties with a slight breeze. They walked as far as they could and looked up and down the shoreline. Behind them, they could see that there was someone behind them and they could only guess who it was. After an hour or so, they stopped at a shoreline restaurant for some seafood. As they ordered and ate, they watched the shoreline and watched, from inside, as Grissom walked right by and gave them the evil eye.

Jim and Sara simply ignored him and carried on with their meals. When they were done, Jim paid the bill and they walked back to the cabin. Once inside, they opened a bottle of wine and snuggled up on the couch, watching the tellie. There were all sorts of Christmas movies on, as it was only a couple of weeks until Christmas. Jim had been trying to think of what he could get Sara for Christmas but she was kinda' hard to shop for. Her apartment seemed to have everything she needed and he never heard her complain about wishing she had something but not being able to afford it on her salary. He could get her a gift certificate or something like that. But it was with this last thought that he had another epiphany. There was a strip mall about an hour away and Jim knew for a fact that there was a jewelry store. He didn't know exactly what he'd get her, but it was going to be something personal, yet discreet. Something she could wear all the time but be able to hide it if necessary.

He made a mental note to go into town the next day. Maybe he'd take Sara with him so she could do some shopping of her own. He didn't expect anything from her; her presence was gift enough for him. However, knowing her, she'd want to get him something.

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The following morning, when Jim woke up, he immediately showered and got dressed. He didn't bother to shave, as Sara preferred him with a little scruff; in particular, a goatee. He figured he'd grow one since he didn't have to be at work for just over two weeks. He noticed that when he grew out his facial hair, Sara was much more close to him. In private, she'd stroke the sides of his mouth and chin and simply stare at him for long periods of time. So, he'd grow a flavour saver and get her something from the jewelry store.

When he was dressed, he sat on the edge of the bed and nudged her awake. As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she smiled when she saw his goatee and sat up in bed. Jim stroked back the stray hairs that were in her face and smiled back at her. It was odd, though; even though they'd both seen each other naked, Sara still covered up her breasts as she sat up in bed.

"I'm going into town in a few minutes. You wanna come?" he asked

Turning around and sitting on the edge of the bed, Sara got up and walked to the shower.

"Yeah, just gimmie a few minutes and I'll be ready." she replied

Jim could hear the spray of the shower from downstairs as he was making coffee. By the time the pot had been brewed, Sara had finished her shower and was nearly dressed. She carried her boots downstairs and sat on the couch as she tied them up. She took the travel cup of coffee that Jim gave her and they grabbed their jackets on the way out.

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They had just arrived at the mall and when they went inside they split up. Jim headed straight for the jewelry store while Sara went off on her own. In the store, Jim perused the glass cases full of gold necklaces, rings and charms for bracelets. He'd never get her anything as cheesy as a charm bracelet; he was leaning more towards a ring or necklace. After an hour he settled on a 24 karat gold necklace with a 24 karat gold ring that was engraved on the inside. The engraving read "Jim EN Sara". He thought she'd love it. She could wear the necklace and everyone could tell she was wearing it and the ring could easily be hidden under her shirt. That way she'd always have a bit of him with her.

For her part, Sara was in a sporting goods store when she saw it; the perfect gift. She saw a knife that she could get engraved; this showed trust. For her to give him a weapon showed a great amount of trust on her part. She knew he carried a knife when he was on duty and she also knew that he carried a lighter, even though, to the best of her knowledge, he didn't smoke. So, she got him a lock-back Buck knife and took it to the jewelry store to have it engraved. Luckily, by the time she got there Jim had left.

They were there for over three hours when they met back up and left for the cabin. So, Jim had got her the necklace and ring while she had bought him the knife and new Zippo; both, which she had engraved. The lighter had been engraved with a smaller version of his badge on it and the knife read "From Sara to Jim. Use Wisely."

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When they returned to Jim's cabin, Sara stashed the gifts in her bag. That's when she realized she'd already bought him something and forgot about it. She had seen a humidor in his den at his house and bought him some very hard to get Cubans. Delectado was the variety and wasn't sure if the cigars were for show or if he had one every now and again. She'd never seen him smoking, but if he had a humidor, then he must; right?

While Sara was stashing her purchases, Jim was downstairs doing the very same. He hid his gift under the couch and waited for Sara to come back downstairs. It was nearly time to eat and Sara decided to make some three cheese lasagna. While she was toiling in the kitchen Jim was setting the table and setting up some Christmas lights on the front porch. It was nearing dark out and Jim wanted to get them up before the sun went down. He had just put up the last of the lights when Grissom walked by. Jim saw him out of the corner of his eye but hadn't paid any attention; not even when Grissom commented on the lights.

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Grissom decided to take a nice moonlight stroll down the road. He walked from his cabin and on the way he passed by Jim's cabin. Jim was putting up some Christmas lights and as he passed by, Sara came outside. She wrapped her arms around Jim's waist and planted a kiss on his lips. She was totally unaware that Grissom was standing there, but when she noticed him she turned a bright shade of red and took Jim's hand and went inside to eat. The meal was delicious and Jim told her so. When Jim and Sara were done eating they took the bottle of wine they had started at dinner and finished it off outside on the porch. They sat in Adirondack chairs and watched the stars.

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The days were passing by with a quickness and as every day drew closer to Christmas, Jim and Sara were spending more and more time inside; alone. Sara was actually kind of stunned. The last time she'd gone on a holiday with a boyfriend they were at each other's throats by the end of the fourth day. However, with Jim, she'd been with him for almost two full weeks and they hadn't even had so much as the tiniest disagreement, save for when there was an ice hockey game on and Sara wanted to watch something else. During times like that she'd just pick up one of the books she'd brought with her and read until the game was over. She wasn't a conspiracy theorist by any means, but this book by Richard Belzer was actually entertaining. She liked Richard Belzer quite a bit; she'd even seen his stand-up routine on several occasions and she'd liked what she'd seen.

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Grissom was due to be back at work in a few days and hated the fact that Jim and Sara would be on holiday until just after New Year. He was supposed to return to work two days after Christmas and as it was, he was going to be spending it alone. This was no different than other years around Christmas time; he usually spent Christmas by himself. It was usually just him and a bottle or two of wine. This was as per usual; he was a solitary creature. He'd sit in front of the tellie with several glasses of wine and drink his sorrows away. By the end of the night he was usually pretty bombed.

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It was Christmas Eve and as Jim and Sara sat in front of the tellie, there was a knock at the door. There was little doubt as to who it could be and neither of them really wanted to answer it. But after looking at each other for a few moments, Jim got up and opened the door. Standing on the other side of the door was Grissom and he was holding a bottle of wine. Extending his hand, Gil handed the bottle to Jim and gave a lopsided smile.

"I was in the area and just wanted to wish you a Happy Christmas. Look, I know things have been sort of tense between the three of us, but I just wanted to wish the two of you the best."

He turned round' and walked back up the drive back to his cabin. It was a bullshit of a well wishing, but Grissom was buzzed and had acted on impulse. If he hadn't been drinking then he'd never have gone down to Jim's.

Jim watched as Grissom wobbled his way back to his cabin and when he was out of sight Jim closed the door. He set the bottle of wine on the kitchen counter and went back to the couch where he and Sara cuddled up under the throw from the back of the couch. Usually, on Christmas Eve, Jim would watch "It's A Wonderful Life", but he didn't need that this year. This year his life was already wonderful and he didn't need some movie to cheer him up. Whenever he wanted some cheer, he'd just look at Sara and her smile would light up his life. He loved her smile, especially the little gap between her teeth. Her smile was like electricity and every time she flashed it he felt all warm and fuzzy inside.

It was just before midnight, the day before Christmas and as Jim and Sara waited and watched the minutes tick by, there was a call on Sara's cell. She picked it up and looked at it. It was Grissom. She didn't want to answer, but as it was almost Christmas, she decided to take the call.

"Sidle. Oh, thanks. You too. Hey, why don't you come over tomorrow around 13:00hrs and we'll have lunch. There's no reason for the three of us to be at odds. Besides, its Christmas. You shouldn't be all alone." she offered

Jim could hear her end of the conversation and marveled at how kind she was being. To hear her talk about Grissom; she hated him. But now she was inviting him over for Christmas lunch. It was the one day out of the whole year that she ate meat. Usually she spent Christmas by herself and would just make a turkey sandwich, but this year there was going to be a bird, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce; the whole shebang.

Jim wasn't too thrilled by the thought of Grissom coming over the next day and when Sara hung up he asked her why she invited him.

"Why did you invite him?" he asked

"Because we need to settle this situation once and for all. He needs to know that there's no hope for he and I and that you and I are together, whether he likes it or not." she explained

No sooner had she said those words then the clock chimed and it was midnight; Christmas.


	6. Chapter 6

At the stroke of midnight Jim and Sara wished each other Happy Christmas and went to bed. They made love that evening and a couple of times during the night to the point that when it came time to get up in the morning they didn't want to. Early in the morning Sara got up and went to use the bathroom and when she looked out the bathroom window she could see that it had been snowing and by the looks of it there were already several inches of the white stuff on the ground. When she came back to bed, Jim rolled over and snuggled up behind her, kissing the back of her neck. 

"Its snowing out. A lot, by the looks of it." she said

"Nothing like a white Christmas." he replied

They both fell back to sleep and finally woke up around 09:00hrs. Sara went straight downstairs to start cooking, as there was a lot of that to be done. There were the sauteed mushrooms with garlic and butter, the mashed potatoes with garlic, the sweet potato casserole, the bird and the stuffing.

While Sara was cooking, Jim took a shower and got dressed. When he was done and dressed, he took over the cooking and Sara went up to take her shower. When she was done she dressed and came downstairs where she was greeted by a mug of coffee. She took it outside and sipped it on the front porch while she looked at the snowfall. It looked as though there was about five inches on the ground already and the sky showed no sign of it letting up any time soon.

As she sat back in her Adirondack chair, she took a large gulp and nearly choked. She coughed and looked at the bottom of the mug to see a gold necklace and ring. She pulled the necklace out and looked at it closely. It was a beautiful, hard to break, snake design and the ring, which she scrutinized was more beautiful then the necklace. It was a gold band with two hands holding a heart and this theme was repeated around the entire band. Sara knew the significance of the ring and thought it was sweet. She got up and stepped off the porch and dropped the necklace in the snow to get the coffee off of it. When it was nice and clean she picked it up and put it on.

In the kitchen, Jim was working on the bird when Sara came back in and tapped Jim on the shoulder. He turned round' and she planted a VERY passionate kiss on his wonderfully thin lips. Needless to say, the kiss led to sex, but given the time crunch, they had to make it a quickie. After an hour they both climbed from the bed and re-dressed. While Jim was dressing Sara pulled several items from her bag and set them on the bed. Seeing the wrapped items out of the corner of his eye, he turned round' and looked at Sara.

"What's this?" he asked

"These are for you. Happy Christmas." she replied, kissing his cheek

Jim opened the smallest box first and smiled when he saw it was. It was the lighter and the engraving was beautiful. On the bottom of the Zippo was another engraving that read "Sara to Jim '07". He opened the next box to see the lock back knife and smiled at the engraving. The last box he opened was a humidor filled with Cuban cigars. Looking at the box, he smiled some more.

"They're Cubans and they were very hard to get. They're not USA grown Cubans, but Cubans from Cuba. So, how do you like your gifts?"

"They're great. I love em'." he replied

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Grissom had just woken up and as he relieved himself, he looked out the bathroom window to see the snow falling in sheets. It was almost to the point where you couldn't even see the trees; all you could see was the snow. He didn't like the idea of hiking for a 1/4 mile in the snow to get down to Jim's cabin. Grissom hadn't planned on it being a white Christmas; he hadn't planned on snow at all. All he had in the way of proper foot ware was a pair of high top trainers that he'd had since he'd first met Sara all those years ago in Massachusetts. They were a pair of canvass Converse Chucks.

He debated on whether or not he'd join Jim and Sara for the lunch date and decided that rather than see Jim and Sara hanging all over each other, he'd just spend the day by himself with a couple of bottles of wine that he'd brought with him. He picked up his cell phone and called her to excuse himself from the meal.

"Sara? Yeah, this is Grissom. I'm not feeling very sociable, so I'm just going to stay here and spend the day alone. I don't think you'd want to see me sulking and moping for half a day." he said

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Setting her phone down, she turned to Jim and gave a weak sort of smile.

"Well, it looks like you got another Christmas present. Grissom isn't coming. He's going to stay at his cabin and drink himself into a stupor. He said he's not feeling sociable, which is Grissom speak for he's gonna get loaded instead." she explained

Jim took silent pleasure in the fact that it would only be he and Sara today, with no Grissom. They wouldn't have to dance on eggshells and keep their feelings to themselves. They would be free to kiss, hug and snuggle all they wanted and not have to worry about the third wheel. They could be themselves and behave as they normally would.

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Greg had not gone home for Christmas but had a few days of leave that he was taking. He decided to pay Jim and Sara a visit. He knew that they were at Tahoe and he knew where Jim's cabin was. So, he set his alarm for early in the morning so he'd have the time to drive out to Tahoe and still get there early. He also knew that Grissom was there, but in a rented cabin.

It was still quite dark out when Greg loaded the presents into his little Jetta and set out for Tahoe. He knew it would be several hours, so he put in a cd and played it loud as he made his trip.

He arrived at Tahoe around 09:00hrs and from there it was just a matter of finding Jim's cabin. Everything was covered in snow, so everything looked the same. He was tempted to call Sara and ask which cabin they were in, but he wanted to surprise them, so he looked at plate numbers. After about ten minutes, he found Jim's car and parked beside it. He stepped into the snow that was, at this point, nearly knee-high and grabbed the presents from the trunk of his little car.

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Sara was in the kitchen with the food while Jim was in the living room watching the tellie when someone knocked on the door. From his seat he could tell it wasn't Grissom, so he got up and opened the door. He smiled when he saw Greg all bundled up with an armful of wrapped gifts. Inviting him inside, Jim took the gifts and set them on the dining room table and then helped Greg from his restrictive clothing.

"There's one for Grissom in there. Just let me run up to his place and give it to him and I'll be right back." Greg said

"Be careful, he's not feeling very sociable." Jim said

"That would mean that he's going to drink all day?" Greg asked

"Yeah." Jim said

"I'll make it quick. Maybe I'll get there before he's had too much to drink."

Greg put his parka back on and walked up the drive to Grissom's cabin. It was about 1/4 mile and when he got there he could tell by looking through the window that Grissom had already started drinking, so Greg set the gift on the floor mat, knocked on the door and went back down to Jim's place.

Stomping his feet on the outside mat, Greg shook off the snow from his parka and opened the front door. He took off his jacket and hung it by the door and went into the kitchen. He came up behind Sara and covered her eyes with his hands.

"Guess who."

"Greg?"

Jim hadn't told Sara that Greg had showed up. When he had first come in, Sara had her head in the oven checking the bird and had no idea that Greg had come over. He was a welcome addition to their holiday meal and Jim said he could stay until it was time to get back to Vegas. Greg graciously accepted Jim's offer and quickly ran outside to grab the gym bag he kept in the trunk that had a couple of changes of clothes. He always kept a packed bag in the trunk because he never knew when he'd need it. Not that he was promiscuous or anything like that, but he kept it more for work purposes than anything else.

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Grissom had just heard a knocking at his door and when he went to open it he saw the wrapped gift on the floor mat. He picked it up and read the label on it that read "From Greg To Grissom. Happy Christmas." A smile presented itself on his face and as he went inside he started to unwrap it. Having torn the wrapping from the box, he smiled even wider. It was a box of books that he actually didn't have. There was a copy of "The World's Most Poisonous Snakes", "Spiders, The World Over" and "Hot Spots.". He wondered what Greg was doing all the way out there and figured that he had been invited, when in fact he'd just shown up on Jim's doorstep.

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Inside, Greg and Jim were looking at the tree and Greg commented on the star and laughed as Jim told him the story behind the badge. Several hours later it was time to eat and as they gathered around the kitchen table and dug in. The meal was delicious and Jim said that all the credit was due to Sara, as she'd cooked everything.

When they were done eating Greg did the dishes and put the leftovers into the Tupperware containers and placed them in the fridge. Sara had told him that he didn't need to do all the dishes, but he said that since he'd shown up just as everything had been cooked, the least he could do was to do the dishes. When he was done, he took the gifts he'd brought from the table by the door and gave them to Jim and Sara who were sitting on the couch. Handing them their gifts, he sat anxiously as they were opened. It was almost as though it was more fun for him to watch them opening the gifts than it was for Jim and Sara to receive them.

For Jim he'd bought an autographed New Jersey Devils hockey jersey and for Sara he'd bought her a new police scanner; something she'd actually use.

It was getting dark out and it was still snowing out. Greg sat on the front porch and decided he'd go for a little walk. He grabbed his parka from inside and zipped up. Seeing this, Jim enquired.

"I'm just going for a little walk down to the lake." he said

Getting up, Jim and Sara put on their jackets and went with him. Flashlights in hand, they all walked through the woods and down to the lake. The moon could have been out, but they couldn't see it for all the snow that was still falling. As they sat on the log by the shoreline, they watched the snow fall on the lake that had turned to ice within the last couple of days. Bravely or stupidly, Greg ventured out onto the ice and slid around as though he were wearing skates.

"Its solid. Come on; its fun." he shouted

Cautiously, Jim and Sara stepped onto the ice and glided around like they were flying. They did this for nearly two hours until they got tired and their feet began to freeze. Their fingers frozen, their feet freezing and their butts numb, they walked back up the path and just as they reached the cabin, they saw Grissom's car fly by; presumably on his way back to Vegas. Looking at his watch, Greg scratched his head.

"Its nearly midnight. He's leaving this late? Why doesn't he just wait until morning?" Greg asked aloud

"Who knows what he's thinking. I just hope he's not drunk." Jim said

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Driving down the snow covered road out of Tahoe, Grissom slammed on his breaks to avoid hitting a deer. His car fishtailed and skidded off the road and into the woods by the roadside. Luckily, he was wearing his seatbelt and as his car impacted a tree, his head slammed against the steering wheel and e was suddenly hurting all over. His chest felt tight, his head was bleeding and the driver's window was smashed from Grissom's head slamming into it before he hit the steering wheel.

In his semi conscious state, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone and tried to call for rescue. There was no signal and Grissom was bleeding kind of badly from his head wounds and his chest was feeling tighter and tighter by the minute. He knew that the resort was only a few miles back and he contemplated hoofing it. However, given his wounds, there was no way to tell how far he'd make it. Deciding that staying in the car, waiting for someone to pass by, could be all night, he decided to try to walk back. He unbuckled his belt and tried to open the door but it wouldn't open. But since the window was broken, he crawled out that way and headed back to the resort.

Trudging through the snow, Grissom's feet were freezing and he was still bleeding. His chest didn't feel any better and now he was seeing in triplicate. He tried to focus on the images in the middle and as he reached the road that led to the resort, he came upon Jim's cabin and as he tried to climb the stairs, he passed out and fell face first on the porch.

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Hearing a loud "THUD" on the front porch, Greg got up opened the door to see Grissom lying there and as he took a closer look, he could tell he was wounded. Quickly, Greg ran upstairs and woke Jim and Sara, telling them that Grissom was passed out on the front porch, bleeding from the head. They both jumped out of bed and ran downstairs and as Greg and Jim picked Grissom up and brought him inside where it was warm, Sara used the house line to call for rescue.


	7. Chapter 7

The roads had not been plowed and there was at least a foot of snow on the ground, and what's more, the roads were icy as well. The plan was to plow the roads when the snow let up, but it was still snowing out and didn't show any signs of letting up. It was a miracle that Grissom had made it all the way back to Jim's cabin without freezing or dropping dead. With Grissom laying on the floor, on his back, Jim checked him over for broken bones and such while Sara called for rescue. She was told that in order for an ambulance to get to them the roads would have to be plowed first. She was also told that a plow truck would work it;s way to them followed closely by an ambulance; the time to get there would be at least an hour. Sara was also told that, in the mean time, to keep him still, try to stop any bleeding and keep pressure on any open wounds. 

Jim had started a fire to keep Grissom warm and listened as Sara spoke of what she'd been told. She knelt down beside Grissom and felt his head for any open wounds. She found the knot on the back of his head and the gash on the left side of his face, from his brow line to his upper cheek was still bleeding as was the gash on his forehead from slamming into the steering wheel. She went to the kitchen and filled a bowl with hot water and grabbed a couple of washcloths from the bathroom along with her toiletry kit that had a small sewing kit in it. Jim had determined that Grissom didn't have any broken ribs or anything else broken and as Sara returned, she asked Greg to bring her a bowl of ice cubes. She had to stop his bleeding and the best way she knew to do that was to stitch him up herself. Setting the bowl of ice on the floor, Greg watched as Sara placed a dry washcloth on his forehead and placed several cubes of ice on top of it to numb the would. She would suture the wound on his cheek first.

She rubbed his cheek and brow with an ice cube and immediately began to sew him up. She'd rub more ice and stitch some more and would repeat this process until that wound was completely sewn and the bleeding stopped. Next, she moved on to the gash on his forehead which had been numbing all the while she was sewing up his other cut. She removed the washcloth and sewed up his forehead within a matter of minutes.

His bleeding stopped, Grissom was laid in front of the fireplace and covered with a blanket. Greg removed Grissom's shoes and rubbed his feet to in order to try to restore blood circulation to them. He had started doing this as Sara stitched him up and continued until the colour came back.

For the better part of an hour Greg and Sara were tending to Grissom while Jim stood on the front porch waiting for the plow truck and ambulance. He stood out there for the better part of an hour and a half before he saw the lights of the plow truck approaching followed by the ambulance. As the truck approached, Jim flashed the porch light on and off to signal that the ambulance should stop at that house. Seeing the light display, the ambulance stopped right in front of Jim's cabin and the medics jumped out and carried a gurney with them.

Inside, Grissom was still in front of the fire and as one of the medics knelt down beside him to check his wounds, Sara stated that the only way she could stop the bleeding from the head wounds was to suture them. The medic was surprised at how good of a job she'd done and asked how Grissom had been while he was waiting for rescue. Greg told him that he'd been rubbing Grissom's feet to get blood circulating back into them and that Sara had done an assessment of his ribs and torso and had found nothing broken. The only real wounds were on his face and those had been tended to. However, as a precaution, the medics took Grissom to the nearest hospital where he was admitted for overnight observation.

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The ambulance had just left and Greg, Jim and Sara tried to go to sleep, but for all the night's excitement it was damn near impossible for any of them to sleep. To try and tire herself out, Sara went outside, grabbed a snow shovel from behind the cabin and began to dig Jim's car out. This was difficult because when the plow truck had come by the direction of the plowed snow landed in such a way that Jim's car was nearly buried, as was Greg's. Thinking that some physical exertion might help, Greg helped Sara dig Jim's car out and after about two or three hours the car was free on all sides. Sara gave the shovel to Greg and helped him dig his car out. His car was much smaller than Jim's so the snow was about halfway up the side of the car.  
All in all, they were out there until just about sunrise. Jim had offered to help the two with their cars but was told that everything was well in hand and to go back inside and read a book or watch the tellie.

Greg and Sara came in from the freezing cold and immediately went to bed, as they were tired beyond belief. As for Jim, he had gone to bed several hours before and when Sara climbed into bed with him she snuggled up behind him and used his body heat to get warm. The feeling of her cold feet was enough to wake him and as he opened his eyes he sighed.

"When'd you get here?"

"Couple of minutes ago. You want I should put on some thick socks?" she asked

"No, you're fine. Your feet will be warm in a few minutes." he said, trying not to shiver

Within a few minutes Sara's feet were no longer cold and she was beginning to warm. She slept for several hours until Jim woke up to use the bathroom. Having done his business, Jim went downstairs briefly to check the snowfall. It was still snowing and the night's shoveling seemed to have done little good as it was still snowing and there appeared to be an additional six inches on the ground. He grumbled and went back upstairs and climbed back in bed. As Jim settled himself Sara woke, but only slightly.

"Its still snowing. Looks like another six inches. Do we want to get out of here today and spend the rest of the holiday in Vegas? I think that'd be the best idea." he said

"Yeah. Sounds like a plan." she said, rolling over

Downstairs, Greg was just waking and when he saw the snow out of the guestroom window he cursed aloud. Even though he'd only gotten a few hours of sleep, he decided to get up, get dressed and do some more shoveling, as he would be leaving today; heading back to Vegas. He wanted to get started before Sara or Jim would wake and need the shovel themselves. Dressing warm and lacing up his boots, he went outside and began to work on getting his car out. He was out there for a couple of hours and when he had dug his car out he went back inside and packed his bag up then went into the kitchen for coffee.

He left without telling anyone, but left a note. Climbing into his car, he set out for home. On the way out of Tahoe he spotted Grissom's smashed up car by the side of the road and decided to stop and remove any of Gil's bags or anything else that Grissom might hold to value. Having loaded Grissom's belongings into his car and set out for the hospital to see if Grissom was ready to be released.

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Laying in the ICU, Grissom was going crazy from doing nothing. His wounds had been re-sutured and he had been given an x-ray and nothing was broken. However, he did have a slight concussion from the bang he took to his head. By the time Greg showed up Grissom was about to leave AMA. Speaking with the charge nurse, Greg was given charge over Grissom and he was released.

Climbing into Greg's car, Grissom asked after his bags and Greg said that he'd picked them up on his way to hospital. The drive back to Vegas was long and Grissom fell asleep during the trip. He didn't wake until Greg arrived at Gil's apartment. Greg nudged Grissom awake and as he climbed from the car, Greg handed him his bags and watched as Gil disappeared up the stairs and into his apartment.

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Packing their bags and heading out, Jim and Sara had little trouble getting out of the snow, as Jim had dug the car out shortly after Greg had left. Since Jim had driven all the way up to Tahoe, Sara decided it was only fair that she drive the way back. So, climbing behind the wheel, she got comfy, familiarized herself with the inner workings of the car and once she'd done that, they were off.

They made it home in record time and once they had unloaded the car they sat on the couch and watched the fire that Jim had built in his fireplace. Staring at the tiny fire dancers was almost mesmerizing and within a half an hour they were asleep in each others arms.


End file.
